The Pact: Bruno and the Crimson Veil

In my arms rested the young wyvern. For a novice like me, his appearance was simply breathtaking. He had wings fused with his arms, six small horns on his forehead, sturdy legs with four claws — three in the front and one in the back — and a tail nearly as long as his body, adorned with a membrane similar to a wing, like a tiny glider. His mouth was filled with sharp teeth.

The moment I touched him, a deep sense of familiarity washed over me — something I had never felt before. It was as if he were... part of me.

And then, as I looked at him, a name naturally surfaced in my mind. Constantia — my surname, meaning perseverance in Latin — and Ignis, meaning fire. I raised my voice, firm and clear, so all could hear:

— From this day on, your name shall be Ignis Constantia.

The little creature seemed to like it. In a quick motion, he gave me a playful bite — and at that exact moment, a mark flared on my arm, and another on his chest.

A shocked voice rang out behind me:

— A WYVERN?!

It was Flávia, visibly stunned. At her side, Selena chuckled, equally surprised.

Confused, I asked:

— Is there a problem?

Sitha's voice followed, calm yet filled with admiration:

— Not a problem... but there's a saying: if dragons are the embodiment of absolute talent, then their sub-race, the wyverns, are the embodiment of effort. They are creatures who never give up. They start from the lowest ranks and grow through determination and their bond with their contractor. That's why they're rare — few can guide them on the path of evolution. It's truly impressive...

She finished her explanation still visibly amazed, but more composed.

I was speechless after hearing that. But before I could respond, a small, trembling voice echoed in my mind:

— H... h... hi...

Startled, I stared at Ignis. That voice... it came from him?

I tried to respond mentally — and to my surprise, it flowed naturally:

— Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you, my companion.

The little wyvern looked at me like a curious kitten, tilting his head, unsure how to react. I simply smiled and wrapped him gently in my arms, as if he were a child.

Turning back to Sitha, I commented:

— I didn't know it was possible to communicate with familiars.

She smiled and answered softly:

— Well, that's one of the best parts.

I shot a mockingly betrayed look at Flávia and Selena. They both just nodded with knowing smiles, as if they'd been waiting for this moment all along.

I let out a quiet sigh and asked if there was anything I needed to do regarding Ignis at that moment. Sitha shook her head.

— For now, just get used to each other — she said, smiling gently. — Before creating a space of his own, you need to strengthen your bond.

I nodded silently and thanked Sitha, Flávia, and Selena. They responded with polite words, as if it were no big deal — but for me, it was. It was enormous. Almost like a dream come true.

I sat on the couch and placed Ignis on my lap. He was already fast asleep, breathing gently. We stayed there, chatting — me, Flávia, Sitha, and even Selena — like old friends enjoying a rare moment of peace.

Time passed until it was time for Sitha to leave. We said our goodbyes and, shortly after, returned to the castle.

On the way, Flávia approached me gently.

— I imagine you're tired... but I wanted to give you this.

In her hands was a new phone.

— I remember yours broke in the accident — she added, a bit hesitant.

Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it. I was so immersed in the joy of awakening my powers and bonding with Ignis that I completely forgot. But seeing it now, I felt a warm gratitude in my chest.

— Thank you, Flávia — I said, pulling her into a hug. — Truly.

She blushed when I kissed her cheek, but I didn't let go of the embrace. We talked idly for about 45 minutes more, then I finally said goodnight and went to my room.

I lay down, placing Ignis beside me. He slept like a rock and didn't notice a thing. After such a long day, I closed my eyes and drifted off instantly.

---

I woke up with the first artificial rays of Tenebris' sun, at 5:45 AM. I felt energized and ready for another day. I got up, freshened up, and Ignis, fully rested, followed me everywhere like a curious hatchling.

Time flew by. Before I knew it, we were at the training grounds. Judging by the time, it was about 7:00 AM. I had already stretched and played a bit with Ignis, who soared above with sparkling eyes, examining everything with fascination.

I walked over to the weapon rack. I grabbed a basic spear and wrapped the chain around my arm. I also equipped the gravity bracelets Flávia had shown me — magical artifacts that allow you to adjust their weight.

I set 10 kg on each arm and 15 kg on each leg. Combined with the chain — which weighed 50 kg due to similar gravity enchantments — I was carrying an extra 100 kg.

It was heavy. My body was already tired from the warm-up, but I persisted. I knew it would pay off.

Today, I focused on getting more familiar with the chain. It wasn't an ordinary one — it had a compact magic pattern that increased its weight without altering its size, and made handling it more difficult. Every movement required refined control.

Exactly what I needed.

The chain proved extremely versatile. I practiced different attacks, trying various angles, spins, and thrusts, building my own understanding through trial and error.

While training, a faint, stuttering voice echoed in my mind:

— G... get... strong...

It was Ignis.

He watched me with wide, shining eyes. But unlike the innocent curiosity of a newborn, there was now something else — a burning resolve. He wanted to be strong.

My heart swelled with pride. I smiled at him, and he fluttered his wings, letting out small growls. Suddenly, a fireball shot toward me!

Startled, I dodged instinctively — vampire reflexes saving me once again.

Ignis let out an excited roar, as if saying, "Look what I can do!"

Then I heard it — the crackling of embers. When I was human, I already had great hearing. As a vampire, it had been elevated.

I turned and dashed in the opposite direction — just in time to avoid another fireball.

This time, I was ready. I dodged with ease.

Intrigued, I connected with Ignis mentally.

— Are you trying to defeat me, little one?

He flapped his wings joyfully and began flying in circles around me.

This time, I spoke aloud:

— Ignis! Try hitting those training dummies instead!

He responded with a high-pitched roar and immediately began firing. The targets were far away, so he missed every shot — some by a lot, others by inches.

But he didn't stop. Every miss sparked both frustration and excitement. It was like his determination grew with every failure.

Adorable — and inspiring.

I resumed my own training. Slowly, I started to adapt to the chain — still clumsy, still slow, but unwavering. It felt like the chain itself was beginning to respond to my effort.

I began trying to bind it to the training dummies — and failed miserably.

But then, an idea struck me.

I looked at Ignis again, still joyfully tossing fireballs.

How many thousands of years had these beings trained to master their weapons? How many failures did they face before success?

Every failure is a step toward mastery.

So I pressed on.

No hesitation.

No complaints.

No shortcuts.

Just raw effort.

Like a bird leaping from the nest — either to fly... or fall.

There we were.

Me and Ignis.

Partners.

We kept going for a long time. Each mistake only pushed us forward. And strangely, instead of exhaustion, we felt invigorated.

A bond was forming between us.

Then, suddenly, Ignis turned to me, eyes burning with playful fire — and began shooting again!

Laughing, I jumped into the rhythm. I dodged and deflected the fireballs with my chain. I attacked toward him, trying to wrap him up — he, in turn, flew and dodged effortlessly.

We were in perfect sync.

Training together. Growing together.

Step by step.

Fire and steel.

Ignis's flames became sharper, more precise. And I... I flowed with the chain. Redirecting attacks without hurting him, attempting to catch him midair — like a dance.

Time disappeared. The extra 100 kg meant nothing anymore. I was fully immersed.

That's when I noticed it — the chain was turning reddish. A faint smoke rising from it.

Maybe from repeated clashes with fire…

Or maybe my vitae was flowing through it, unnoticed.

Excited, I let my guard down for just a second.

That was enough.

A fireball struck me square in the chest, launching me backward.

I hit the ground hard, breathing heavily — but laughing.

Ignis fluttered over immediately, pounced on my chest, and gave a proud little roar — like he had won. He wiggled, flapped his wings, purred... and collapsed, asleep on my chest like a child.

I lay there, staring at the artificial sky, chest warm — not from fire, but from emotion.

It had been an incredible training session.

Then, I heard a soft voice beside me.

For a moment, I thought it was Flávia.

But as I turned, I saw it was Selena.

Radiant, as always.

With a graceful smile, she said:

— Good morning, my lord.

I looked at her, sweaty and tired, but smiling:

— Good morning, Selena. You look... very beautiful today.

She let out a quiet laugh, blushing slightly.

— Thank you. You seemed really absorbed in your training, huh?

I nodded casually, still cradling Ignis.

— Have you been here long? — I asked.

— About ten minutes — she said, smiling.

— Is something wrong? This is the first time you've come to find me directly.

She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly.

— Well... it's almost 1 PM.

Startled, I jumped to my feet, almost dropping Ignis, who just mumbled and rolled over.

— Already?! Time really flew by...

— It's almost lunchtime — she said politely. — I'll excuse myself to prepare things.

Before she could turn to leave, I stepped closer and embraced her tightly. I kissed her cheek gently and whispered something soft in her ear.

Selena froze for a second. Her face turned crimson. She nodded wordlessly and walked away with quick steps — a slight smile tugging at her lips.

Just before she disappeared from sight, I called out:

— Wait... where's Flávia?

She looked over her shoulder, laughing lightly:

— Sleeping!

— SLEEPING?! — I repeated, incredulous.

She only laughed again and vanished down the hallway, leaving me confused and amused, staring up at the artificial sky.